Counting Square and Enix’s pre-merger runs,Square Enixhas been around in some form since the mid-1970s. Even if only the post-2003 fusion era is considered, the company is responsible for developing and/orpublishing some of the greatest gamesof all time, particularly within the RPG genre. Square Enix’s portfolio covers a wide spectrum of masterpieces, quite a few of which feature protagonists who are charged with changing or saving their respective worlds.
While nearly always powerful, most Square Enix games do not have OP playable characters, at least not to the point that you can overwhelm enemies without facing much of a challenge. However, as always, exceptions exist. If you are craving temporary godhood, I recommend checking out these Square Enix games. They are not all necessarily beloved, but they are fun when approached with a “let’s blow everyone away and have a good time” mindset.
Here are some notes and criteria:
Starting with one of the most polarizing games of the last decade, and “polarizing” is being kind,Marvel’s Avengersgarnered a lot of fair criticism, most of which I feel is justified. That said, to give credit where credit is due,all the core Avengers(not named The Hulk) are not only fun to use but also feel suitably powerful. Iron Man can rain destruction from up high, while Captain America’s shield is an absolute blast to master. Ms. Marvel and Black Widow are also quite capable, particularly the former.
Finally, there is Thor, who very much lives up to his moniker as the God of Thunder. Odin’s son is an absolute beast during missions, with Mjölnir being incredibly satisfying to use. All his abilities reinforce his deity status, be it Odinforce, God Blast, or Bitfrost. Honestly, I wish Square Enix had just taken Thor and created a game around him. It would have been so much better.
While nowhere close to surpassing Lightning, who might as well be a straight-up god in her sequel games,Final Fantasy 16’s Clive is comfortably among the strongest protagonists in the franchise, in terms of lore. More importantly, his story-based power is not only reflected by the combat, but he feels even more powerful than he should be.
This one is a bit of an odd case, asFF16is rather notoriously easy, at least on the first playthrough’s default difficulty. The hack-and-slash combat is fast-paced and visually striking, and Clive overwhelms enemies quickly and without any major issues. Honestly, you don’t need to master or particularly engage with the mechanics to run through the campaign; more often than not, you can just be a button-mashing god.
I’ll also add,Clive has plenty of cool abilitiesthat enhance that feeling of being a god.
Ah, another polarizing modern Square Enix game.Forspokenseems like the perfect candidate for an eventual redemption story, but that has not really happened yet. Still, if you do have access to PS Plus Extra and are looking for an open-world game with an OP mage,Forspokenis more than worth a download and a try. Yes, it is far from perfect, but that does not mean it has no positives to offer.
If nothing else,Forspokenhas an awesome magic system that influences nearly every part of the gameplay loop, from movement to combat. You gain control over the elements, gradually learning how and when to jump between powers to spread chaos and destruction. With more than30 spells to unlock and master, you have enough freedom to craft a build that suits your preferences, and the game makes sure that most of these abilities are fun to use and visually impressive.
Here it is – the exception. Technically, you can break a lot of turn-based JRPGs by grinding or abusing a specific mechanic; however, usually, it requires quite a bit of time or a lot of know-how. While playing normally should keep the difficulty level somewhat balanced,Final Fantasy 8is probably theeasiest Square Enix game to break, at least within this franchise.
The most common way is to manipulate the Card System and get a bunch of items that are way too powerful for the early parts of the campaign, but this is not the only way to breakFF8. Certain basic early-game spells feel way too powerful, and it is not particularly hard to ensure Squall has items and weapons that can wreck most enemies. While most game-breaking methods require actions that go beyond standard actions in a typical playthrough, they are not so far beyond the norm that they are a big hassle to trigger. Besides blasting opponents without much hassle, you do kind of feel like a gaming god when you deliberately break a game.
Reunionwas picked due to it being the more likely version that players might try nowadays. That said, everything holds true for thePSP original.
I generally avoid breaking games on a first playthrough, as I want to get the experience that the developer intended. However,Crisis Corejust cannot help but turn Zach into a walking god soldier who can power through late-game bosses with just a handful of hits, and the ascension happens suddenly.
Although never extremely difficult, the first few hours present a relatively decent challenge while players have access to weak Materia and DMW summons. However, Materia is easy to level up and master, and the campaign’s shorter-than-average length and easy optional missions mean you start equipping powerful gear and abilities quicker than typical for an RPG, and casual enemies do not have an answer. Along with getting a lot of flak for its randomness, the DMW system also breaks the game during the second half, granting out occasional bonuses that empower the already nearly-unstoppable Zach.
Once upon a time,Kingdom Heartswas willing to produce a difficult action RPG. That lasted for about two games, and the series then decided to go down a different route and turned Sora into an OP protagonist with ridiculous and awe-inspiring powers.KH2started this transition, andKH3pushed it to the breaking point. Rather than slowly picking up new skills and unlocking mechanics, Sora is pretty much unstoppable right from the start, reflecting his journey throughout the decades.
While maybe a bit too easy for its own good, I respectKH3’s decision not to reset Sora back to zero, instead letting him be the overpowered hero he had worked tirelessly to become. He is agile and strong, while having access to magic, summons, transformations, and limit breaks. Sure,he gets better keyblades, but he hardly needs the Ultima Weapon to act like an action god. Sora can do it all; you can do it all.
